Stan Wright wins re-election in Bayou La Batre

BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. (WALA) - A hotly contested race in southern Mobile County has finally come to an end with an incumbent mayor voted in for a fourth term.

Election officials counted provisional ballots Tuesday morning in the race for the Bayou La Batre mayor.  Incumbent Stan Wright was declared the official winner.

Inside Bayou La Batre city hall, the room was packed with spectators. They listened to one woman as she read the provisional ballots out loud.

“Vote for Wright,” she said. “Vote for Barnes.”

Wright competed in the runoff against challenger Henry Barnes. The race last week was too close to call, so, on Tuesday, city officials counted the provisional ballots.

Thirty provisional ballots were submitted, but the Board of Registrars determined that only 16 of those were eligible. After those 16 were counted, the answer was clear, incumbent Mayor Stan Wright won.

The final vote tally:

• Wright: 269
• Barnes: 257

The final numbers show just how divided this city has been over this election. In the end, Wright won by only 12 votes.

Wright said, "There’s been a lot of commotion, no doubt about it. A lot of people split up. Now we can move forward."

Barnes, the challenger, said, "A lot of promises by the mayor in this race, I just hope he keeps them. And I hope the people that supported me are not intimidated, which some have already have been."

Mayor Wright says one of his high priorities will be to improve the city's infrastructure.